


like a sunrise

by ZOMBIEDOG



Series: SELF-INDULGENT [8]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: (also my first time writing kieran so he might be terribly OOC), (dont take me out back ill cry), Other, also uh, he deserved better than what he got and im a salty bastard, i am a very (very) weak man for mr. duffy, still tagging this as mature just to be careful, vague mention of canon deaths and violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 23:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20161618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZOMBIEDOG/pseuds/ZOMBIEDOG
Summary: Kieran Duffy, first and foremost, was anoutlaw. What interactions you'd seen of him around camp, were pre-written and understandable given his environment. Bill was amountainof a man and more than just a tad intimidating, so you couldn't blame Kieran for being terrified and constantly on edge, not wanting to be shot by every gun in the camp for evenbreathingwrong. ButthisKieran? He was his own person and fully sentient, confused and scared, anddangerous. You'd like to think he wouldn't hurt you, but a desperate man is a dangerous one, and you'd have to tread very cautiously from here on out.// continuation posted





	like a sunrise

The last thing Kieran could remember was the utter terror, the fear and soul-crushing realization that Colm had found him, that his escape was unlikely. He could only hope for a swift end, that the O'Driscoll bastard would (for once) be merciful, to make it painless. And Kieran had felt every goddamn thing they did to him, to the second his final breath left his lips, he felt _everything_. He remembered the feeling of nothing, the weightless black that surrounded him, and for once in his life of constantly running and fearing someone would stab him in his sleep, he felt at peace. Kieran could only hope that Branwen would be taken care of and that Arthur (_oh god_,_ Arthur_) could forgive him. He'd been caught in his moment of weakness, and he'd paid with his life. But he was free, truly and utterly _free_.

You'd just finished the Sant Denis chapter and. Wow. Ouch. Your heart was in pain at poor Kieran's fate. You could even remember a bit of dialogue between Grimshaw and Arthur, Grimshaw asking Arthur if he'd seen anything of Kieran and the both of them brushing it off. Granted, they were there to save Tilly, but it still planted a seed of concern in you, and as it turns out, that seed bloomed into a tree that bared fruit, the fruit of which bonked you right on your goddamn head. Kieran had been your favorite, slowly growing on you with every interaction, from fishing to Mary-Beth reading to him, you'd developed quite the soft spot for him. Setting your controller aside and leaning back into your couch, you groaned as Arthur narrated what he wrote down in his journal.

With another deep sigh, you saved the game before turning your console off, deciding it best to just. Let _That_ process. Shuffling to your kitchen, you fetched a cup of water, nursing at it sulkily while leaned against the counter's edge. It just seemed... _unfair_... to kill him off like that. He'd just started to be accepted by the gang, and you'd also noticed him missing around camp but just chalked it up to missed fishing interactions and left it at that. You were too busy trying to finish side-missions and fill up the camp's lock-box, but looking back now, you wanted to kick yourself for neglecting him like that. You felt that your Arthur had _just_ started warming up to him too. It was a damn shame, honestly.

Stewing in your thoughts, you almost didn't hear the sound of something heavy crashing around in your room, but after living alone for only a few months and your mama constantly badgering on about crime in your area, you'd trained yourself to be hyper-aware of your environment, even in the safety of your apartment. Stumbling over yourself, you grabbed the first thing you could reach for, a pen, before ninja-ing your way through the kitchen and closer to the door-way of your room. Peeking around the corner, you felt your heart drop. There, standing in the middle of your room looking terrified out of his goddamn mind, was Kieran Duffy himself.

The closer you looked, the more obvious it was that his eyes appeared to be misty and dazed, not truly comprehending his surroundings and that (obvious) lack of coordination is what finally sent him stumbling (and crashing) onto your bed. The second tears began to fall down his cheeks, you couldn't help but reveal yourself, running over to his side and quietly whispering his name. More tears seemed to fall as he fell hard on his back, crying out in fright at your sudden appearance. It was so easy to forget this man had no idea _who_ you were or where (or _when_) he was, and for all he knew, he was in enemy territory. The shock of everything seemed to be too much for him, his eyes rolling back into his head as his body went limp, his muffled sobs stopping almost immediately. You had not one clue what to do, but you knew Kieran's safety was now on you, and this time, you _wouldn't_ fail him.

The next time Kieran woke, he found himself in a clean bed, all his cuts bandaged and a glass of... water? on the little table beside him. He didn't sit up, too scared someone would notice him and the interrogating would begin, so he silently looked around, furrowing his eyebrows together at all of the strange things. Where _was_ he? Why was he_ alive_? Why didn't he hurt anymore? He had so many questions and not a soul to ask. To say he was _terrified_ would be an understatement. What little he could remember of his Mammy was that she would tell him stories of _angels_ and _heaven_ and an endless garden, and how _beautiful_ and _peaceful_ it was. Kieran would always timidly ask her, "_could we fish there?_" and she'd laugh and hush him with a goodnight-kiss, leaving him to the protective love of the night. Many a-time, Kieran was told that in heaven he'd see all that he loved and be reunited with his parents who'd left him so early. Yet, he saw not a soul nor thing he knew.

Just where the hell was he?

You'd just casually passed the door-way to your bedroom when you noticed Kieran slightly tapping the blanket underneath him, the small movement being caught in the edge of your vision and causing you to pause. He was awake. Oh god. Oh no. Just how were you going to explain to him that he was now in the year 2019? Everything he's known is now long past and everyone he's known is dead? If God really did love you, why the hell did he do you so damn dirty like this?! Sucking in a breath of air, you lightly tapped on the door to alert him of your presence before slowly shuffling forward, flinching just a tiny bit under his intense gaze. Averting your gaze, you finally plopped down beside him, humming as he continued to stare.

"I ain't... I ain't gonna tell you anythin'..." he mumbled, his eyebrows knitting together as he turned his head to the side. "I won't say a _damn_ thing..."

It hurt you a bit, in all complete honestly. It hurt to think he saw you at the same level as an O'Driscoll, but it was hard to remember his previous situation, the only life he'd known. He didn't know who you were, and you probably looked weird in his eyes, considering he was living in the 1890s. Sighing, you plopped down on the floor next to him, resting your chin on the edge of the bed, avoiding his questioning gaze as you thought over what you could say, how you could possibly explain this without sending him into another panic attack. 

"I'm not gonna _hurt_ you, Kieran, I just wanna help..."

At the mention of his name, Kieran subtly shifted to prop himself up against his elbows, eyes narrowing in a glare.

"_Who_," his voice trembled a bit, "the hell are _you_? How do you know my_ name_? _How_ am I _alive_?"

Kieran Duffy, first and foremost, was an _outlaw_. What interactions you'd seen of him around camp, were pre-written and understandable given his environment. Bill was a _mountain_ of a man and more than just a tad intimidating, so you couldn't blame Kieran for being terrified and constantly on edge, not wanting to be shot by every gun in the camp for even _breathing_ wrong. But _this_ Kieran? He was his own person and fully sentient, confused and scared, and_ dangerous_. You'd like to think he wouldn't hurt you, but a desperate man is a dangerous one, and you'd have to tread very cautiously from here on out.

Looking up to meet his gaze, you gave a weak smile and shrug, leaning back on your hands as he watched your every move like a hawk.

"... Welcome to 2019, Mr. Duffy..."

The two of you were now quietly sitting on opposite ends of your (tiny) couch, Kieran sending you nervous glances before subtly shifting just a tiny bit further away. It took a lot of convincing but finally, finally, he'd given into the idea that he had indeed died and was (somehow) brought back to life... except in a different century entirely. It was more than jarring and indeed caused him to pass out again, completely overwhelmed. But when he came to this time, he just furrowed his eyebrows together and refused to make eye-contact when you would place a (cold) wet rag on his forehead. You knew trust was something to be earned, and especially given the situation, it would take months for him to trust you, but you only wanted to help him and how could you do that when he flinched away from your every touch?

An awkward silence fell over the two of you before he gave a groan and let his head fall back to rest against the backing of the couch, raising his hands to his face, sighing heavily. You didn't say anything, knowing he'd speak when he was comfortable. You, yourself, were still adjusting to the presence of another person in your apartment, even if that person was a fictional crush from a cowboy game. To be completely honest with yourself, you were still reeling over the fact Kieran believed you _at all_. The silence had just reached the point of being bearable when his stomach gave an angry grumble, startling the both of you, Kieran more so as he gave a low shout and folded his arms over his stomach.

"I don't think I could interest you in some pizza, could I?" you hummed, already slowly getting up from the couch, trying your best to avoid any sudden movements he may read as a possible threat. You didn't want to cause him any more stress, and if that meant constantly monitoring the speed of your movements, so be it. By the confused look on his face, you could tell he had no idea what you were talking about.

"_Pizza_? What on God's green earth is _that_?!"

Giving a low laugh, you turned to smile at him before disappearing into the kitchen.

"You'll see... I'm sure you'll like it more than Pearson's stew,"

A huff at that.

With a roll of your eyes, you set about pre-heating the oven and fetching a pizza from the freezer, quietly explaining your current steps in the process every time Kieran would make a questioning noise.

As the two of you sat together on the couch, enjoying your pizza, you couldn't help but think how you were going to break it to Kieran that he came from a video-game, and the aftermath of his death. Sneaking a side-glance at the confused man, having to fight back a laugh as he (very confusedly) ate a slice of pizza, you couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Life had given him a short straw and put him through hell, and maybe (somewhere in your lovesick brain, a voice was laughing at you) this was a chance for Kieran to have a better life. One where he wasn't constantly being shot at or on the run or worried that someone would gut him in his sleep. Granted, this world would definitely take a lot to adjust to, you had faith he could do it, and if not, you'd try to be there for him for as long as he would allow.

Second chances were mysterious things and you couldn't even begin to understand them, but it was like a sunrise. There was _always_ a next one and it would light the path in the dark, and it seems that this sunrise led Kieran to you. It was a sunrise you'd hold dear for years to come.


End file.
